Infocomm Technology

Our Vision

Where students are responsible ICT savvy and self-directed / collaborative learners and staff are competent users of ICT tools for teaching and learning

Together with the school management, students, parents and other stakeholders, the ICT department strategizes, plans and implements ICT leveraged programs that help develop our students into 21st century learners as well as oversee the provision of ICT support for teaching and learning in the school. To provide an ICT enriched curriculum that develops students into self-directed and collaborative learners, our key approaches include:

Providing the right infrastructure & resources to support ICT integration and support “anytime anywhere computing” for Teaching and Learning

Integration of relevant ICT experiences into the curriculum so as to nurture self directed and collaborative learners.

Developing an ICT culture where teachers and students are competent and enthusiastic in using ICT for teaching and learning and administration.

Training and development of staff and students' ICT capacity on a differentiated and customized basis

Training and developing staff capacity for action research focussing on the effective use of ICT infusion into teaching and learning. ICT mentor projects to be based on sound theory supported by external studies

Nurturing students into responsible users of ICT

All secondary 1 students undergo a compulsory ICT Baseline Training which includes learning Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint. In addition, they learn Web 2.0 collaboration and cloud applications such as Google docs and the optimal use of Google Search. Each student is provide a free Dunearn Google account which opens up various cloud computing possibilities for teaching and learning.

A Students Learning Portal will be made available (March 2015) to facilitate access to learning resources as well. The school also uses notebooks, Ipads and Android tablets to cater to the different learning needs of students and subject areas. Subject-based ICT mentors and champions ensure that sufficient and relevant Self-Directed and Collaborative Learning experiences are infused into their subject areas. At appropriate school, cluster/zonal and national platforms, our teachers are given opportunities to share their ICT infused lessons with other educators.

In line with current tecnologies, the school also uses mobile technology and cloud computing to conduct target setting, attendance taking, Napfa assessment, CCA selection, online surveys, reflective journals etc.

Apart from such tools, various departments also utilize MOE's subject based learning portals such IMTL, Welearn, and Enabler. Other external learning portals such as Write to Learn (English), ACE Learning (Maths), Google sites and Toktol (Science) provide additional learning resources and assessment modes. Various teachers have also create their own personal learning sites using Google apps or Edmodo to support their students learning. To ensure that students have easy access to their teachers, both students and teachers have created their own group Whatsapp accounts, Facebook groups or Facebook Messenger, LINE or SMS to facilitate discussion, class administration, clarifications on subject matter, concepts etc.

Integrating ICT into the Dunearn Curriculum

Lower Secondary Maths

ICT was used to scaffold student learning through a concrete and pictorial approach with the use of digital manipulatives (Algebra Disc) to allow Sec 2 students to construct meaning of the algebraic expression and make sense of the algebraic manipulations and deepen their understanding. During the lesson, students individually extend their own learning using the Exploratory Activity on addition and subtraction of integers using zero pairs which serves the foundation for this chapter. Through ICT tools, students learn new knowledge from the Online Algetools, formulate questions and generate own inquiries, learn independently from the applet and learn how to post their opinions and answers on the collaborative tool (Forum) for input and discussions.

Lower Secondary Science

Secondary 2 Express and Normal Academic students were taught the fundamentals of electrical circuits using web-based applets from PhET interactive simulation for the lesson package on electricity. During the ICT infused lesson, students work in pairs to construct the DC circuits using the applet on the website link. Their knowledge on characteristics of current, potential and effective resistance in series and parallel circuit was developed and reinforced through the activity. The class then consolidated their learning using a summary table at the end of lesson.

Upper Secondary (NT) Elements of Business Skills

The objective of this lesson is to enable Normal Technical students to apply higher level thinking skills with
an authentic learning experience by integrating ICT tools in the lesson. In this lesson, students are given the chance to use their content knowledge and analytical skills to research for relevant information for a given business scenario and to explore alternatives using technology such as the online video creation software,
Animoto, to enhance business promotion skills. Students also get to collaborate ideas and think creatively through the exchange of constructive feedback using an online social platform, Blogger. Such skills are also aligned with the 21st Century Skills, which are crucial for the growth and development of our Normal Technical students as well.

Lower Secondary MT (Chinese and Malay)

An ICT lesson was conducted in Sec 1 NA and 1OP(For CL), Sec 2 Express students(For ML) using Google's cloud computing platform. The lesson objective was to explore the use of literary devices (simile, metaphor, personification and characterization) to help enhance and develop students' creative writing skills. During the lesson, Students use Google Docs to create and collaborative share their imagery ideas within their groups. Selected groups then shared their imagery to the class. In this lesson, students not only practice the writing of expressions using collaborative ICT tools but also practiced the skills needed for effective creative writing.